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After 15 hours and 50 minutes of deliberations that began Wednesday just before noon, the jury of five men and seven women convicted Williams in the December 2011 shooting death of Crispin in a park on Crystal Grove Lane. Crispin, 25, was shot in the top of the head while attempting to perform a pat-down search on Williams and four other young men.

Jurors will reconvene Monday morning to hear arguments from the prosecution and the defense on whether Williams should be sentenced to death or life in prison.

As jurors filed into the courtroom after they reached their verdict, several were sniffling, taking deep breaths and wiping away tears. One woman buried her face in a tissue and struggled to breathe between sobs.

After the verdict was read, Williams showed little emotion, closing his eyes and shaking his head. In the few minutes it took for a clerk to read through the verdict, Williams, who was 19 at the time of the shooting, looked over at his mother several times.

The Williams family declined to comment and quickly left the courtroom after the verdict was handed down.

Members of the Williams and Crispin families attended every day of the three-week-long trial, along with members of the Lakeland Police Department.

"We've been waiting for this to come to some kind of conclusion over the last three years," Assistant Chief Mike Link told reporters. "As you can see, justice has been done in this instance."

Frankie Crispin, the officer's brother, said there was "irrefutable evidence that (Williams) was the person that committed this crime."

"We're very pleased with the results," he said, "and I think the state did an extraordinary job presenting a strong case to the jury."

"I'm very thankful that justice has been done," she said through her son. "My son was a good boy, and he did not deserve this."

With his conviction for the first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, Williams faces either life in prison or the death penalty.

At the penalty-phase hearing that begins Monday, prosecutors will present evidence to show aggravating circumstances of the crime to support a death penalty recommendation.

The defense will present evidence and testimony that shows mitigating circumstances that will support life imprisonment. Jurors will recommend a sentence but it will be Circuit Judge Donald Jacobsen who makes the decision.

Frankie Crispin said his family agrees with the State Attorney's Office that Williams should get the death penalty.

"The first day that I made contact with the defendant we looked at each other and I was expecting to maybe see some type of remorse," Frankie Crispin said, "but actually what I got was a smirk on his face and a smile, as if like he was taunting, 'I'm going to get away with this.'?"

Defense lawyer Byron Hileman said he trusts the jury system and it was "obvious" that jurors took time to carefully review the evidence.

During the trial, four young men testified they were with Williams the night Crispin was shot and it was Williams who fired the pistol.

The defense tried to poke holes in the case against Williams by discrediting the four young men and questioning the forensic evidence that tied Williams to the gun that killed Crispin.

Interim Police Chief Larry Giddens said Thursday night he was pleased with the verdict.

"From the moment that this tragic event occurred, we have seen a professional, collaborative effort from the initial responding agencies to the successful prosecution by the State Attorney's Office," Giddens said.

"We are pleased with the verdict and the continued healing it brings to the Crispin family, our department and community."

[ Cody Dulaney can be reached at cody.dulaney@theledger.com or 863-802-7536. Ledger reporter Ben Brasch contributed to this report. ]

<p>BARTOW | A jury convicted 21-year-old Kyle Williams on Thursday of the murder of Lakeland Police Officer Arnulfo Crispin, and several jurors sobbed as their verdict was announced.</p><p>After 15 hours and 50 minutes of deliberations that began Wednesday just before noon, the jury of five men and seven women convicted Williams in the December 2011 shooting death of Crispin in a park on Crystal Grove Lane. Crispin, 25, was shot in the top of the head while attempting to perform a pat-down search on Williams and four other young men.</p><p>Jurors will reconvene Monday morning to hear arguments from the prosecution and the defense on whether Williams should be sentenced to death or life in prison.</p><p>As jurors filed into the courtroom after they reached their verdict, several were sniffling, taking deep breaths and wiping away tears. One woman buried her face in a tissue and struggled to breathe between sobs.</p><p>After the verdict was read, Williams showed little emotion, closing his eyes and shaking his head. In the few minutes it took for a clerk to read through the verdict, Williams, who was 19 at the time of the shooting, looked over at his mother several times.</p><p>The Williams family declined to comment and quickly left the courtroom after the verdict was handed down. </p><p>Members of the Williams and Crispin families attended every day of the three-week-long trial, along with members of the Lakeland Police Department. </p><p>"We've been waiting for this to come to some kind of conclusion over the last three years," Assistant Chief Mike Link told reporters. "As you can see, justice has been done in this instance."</p><p>Frankie Crispin, the officer's brother, said there was "irrefutable evidence that (Williams) was the person that committed this crime."</p><p>"We're very pleased with the results," he said, "and I think the state did an extraordinary job presenting a strong case to the jury."</p><p>Frankie Crispin translated for his Spanish-speaking mother, Margarita Crispin.</p><p>"I'm very thankful that justice has been done," she said through her son. "My son was a good boy, and he did not deserve this." </p><p>With his conviction for the first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, Williams faces either life in prison or the death penalty.</p><p>At the penalty-phase hearing that begins Monday, prosecutors will present evidence to show aggravating circumstances of the crime to support a death penalty recommendation.</p><p>The defense will present evidence and testimony that shows mitigating circumstances that will support life imprisonment. Jurors will recommend a sentence but it will be Circuit Judge Donald Jacobsen who makes the decision.</p><p>Frankie Crispin said his family agrees with the State Attorney's Office that Williams should get the death penalty.</p><p>"The first day that I made contact with the defendant we looked at each other and I was expecting to maybe see some type of remorse," Frankie Crispin said, "but actually what I got was a smirk on his face and a smile, as if like he was taunting, 'I'm going to get away with this.'?"</p><p>Defense lawyer Byron Hileman said he trusts the jury system and it was "obvious" that jurors took time to carefully review the evidence. </p><p>During the trial, four young men testified they were with Williams the night Crispin was shot and it was Williams who fired the pistol.</p><p>The defense tried to poke holes in the case against Williams by discrediting the four young men and questioning the forensic evidence that tied Williams to the gun that killed Crispin.</p><p>Interim Police Chief Larry Giddens said Thursday night he was pleased with the verdict.</p><p>"From the moment that this tragic event occurred, we have seen a professional, collaborative effort from the initial responding agencies to the successful prosecution by the State Attorney's Office," Giddens said. </p><p>"We are pleased with the verdict and the continued healing it brings to the Crispin family, our department and community."</p><p>[ Cody Dulaney can be reached at cody.dulaney@theledger.com or 863-802-7536. Ledger reporter Ben Brasch contributed to this report. ]</p>